Valentina's Corner
This Honey Chicken Recipe is the easiest homemade recreation of restaurant-style honey chicken. The chicken is pan-seared until golden and crispy and tossed in the key ingredient – the sticky honey sauce!
This recipe along with lemon butter chicken and an easy orange chicken recipe are among our favorite quick dinner recipes.
Honey Chicken Recipe
This honey chicken recipe is the perfect 30-minute meal for busy dinners. Chicken breast dredged in a flour breading and sauteed for a crisp finish. Then tossed in an addicting sweet and tangy honey lemon glaze for the ultimate finish. Simple, yet filling and crave-worthy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Minimal ingredients. This recipe doesn’t require you to make a grocery run since you likely have the simple ingredients on hand.
- Reheats well. Leftover chicken stores well in the refrigerator for easy lunches.
- Quick to make. The recipe doesn’t require you to stand over the stove for hours on busy nights.
- Made with the best sauce. The sauce is perfectly sticky and has a nice balance of sweet, and savory.
- Perfectly juicy. The chicken comes out juicy and tender without drying out and is full of flavor.
Honey Chicken Ingredients
The ingredients for this honey chicken recipe are ones you most likely already have in your kitchen, making this perfect for a last-minute dinner idea.
- Chicken breast- cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise for even cooking.
- Flour- all-purpose flour gives the chicken a crispy crust.
- Seasonings- simply season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
- Olive oil- to saute the chicken for the perfect crispy crust.
- Honey sauce- a few cloves of garlic, butter, honey, soy sauce, and lemon juice make up the sauce!
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Honey Chicken
The best recipes are simple and quick, yet result in a delicious meal. Chinese honey chicken is just that!
- Prep chicken: Start by slicing the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. We LOVE cutting with this set of knives!
- Make breading: In a shallow bowl or plate, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper.
- Dredge in mixture: Dredge the chicken through the flour mixture, ensuring the chicken is fully covered in breading.
- Sear chicken: Add oil to a skillet and allow to heat up over medium or medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken to the hot oil in two batches and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Remove: Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
- Cook garlic: Add the garlic and butter to a skillet and cook until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant.
- Cook sauce: Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, chicken broth, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the sauce to the skillet and cook until it comes to a soft boil.
- Add chicken back: Add the chicken back to the skillet and coat with the sauce. Cook until the chicken is reheated. Top with green onions and sesame seeds as a garnish, if desired.
- Serve and enjoy, friends!
Substitutions and Variations
Easily adjust the recipe based on what you have on hand using these suggestions as a guide:
- Chicken bites: Cut the chicken into 1”-2” bite-size pieces and make honey chicken bites to serve over rice.
- Add vegetables: Saute vegetables such as broccoli, bell pepper cubes, and carrots to toss in the sauce with the chicken. Pro tip: If adding veggies, make extra sauce to ensure you can sufficiently coat all of the elements in the dish.
- Add heat: Add a teaspoon of hot sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes for spicy honey chicken.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken can be served in many unique ways, depending on your family’s preferences.
- Rice: Serve the chicken over a bed of rice, cooked using your favorite method.
- Vegetables: This recipe can be served alongside your favorite veggies. Honey-glazed carrots, our classic air fryer roasted asparagus, another option could be our oven-baked broccoli, or even Brussels sprouts are wonderful options.
- Pasta: Serve with your favorite cooked noodles.
REcipe FAQs
You may use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs if you prefer darker meat. Both are great sources of protein!
Orange chicken has a distinct citrus flavor from orange juice and is traditionally more spicy. Honey chicken is a twist on the classic Asian chicken recipes, finished in a more sweet and lightly savory chicken glaze but we keep it whole instead of bite-sized pieces.
Be sure to add the chicken to a well-heated pan to allow the chicken to get a nice sear. If you add the chicken before the oil gets hot, the chicken will be soggy.
You can use chicken thighs with great results if that is what you have on hand.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Store leftovers refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat. Reheat over low heat in a large skillet or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freeze. We do not recommend freezing this recipe as the texture of the chicken with the sauce will differ once frozen.
More chicken Recipes:
If you enjoyed this chicken recipe, you’ll want to add these popular chicken dishes to your menu:
Honey Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
chicken-
- 3 chicken breasts cut in half
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
sauce-
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup honey
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise.
- In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, and pepper.
- Add the oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat.
- Dredge the chicken through the breading.
- Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and sear 3-4 minutes per side, until the chicken is crispy.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
- Add the garlic and butter to the same skillet and cook just until the butter melts and garlic is fragrant, or for about 1 minute.
- In a bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, chicken broth and lemon juice. Add to the skillet and cook until the sauce comes to a soft boil. Add the chicken to the sauce and coat with the sauce.
- Cook just until the chicken is reheated.
- Serve and enjoy, friends.
Notes
Add vegetables: Saute your favorite vegetables and add to the pan with the cooked chicken and sauce to make it a meal.